There are a number of Visitor visas available to person who seek to enter into or remain in Australia depending on their circumstances.

The specific Visitor visa an applicant will be eligible for will depend on a number of factors including, but are not limited to, the proposed length of stay, the applicant’s nationality as evidenced by their passport, the purpose of the intended visit and the applicant’s Australian immigration history.

eVisitor (Subclass 651)

Generally, an applicant may be eligible for an eVisitor where:

• intending to visit Australia temporarily for tourism or business visitor purposes;
• the applicant is located outside Australia;
• the holder of an eVisitor eligible passport;
• free of tuberculosis when entering Australia;
• having not been convicted of an offence or offences for which the cumulative sentence is more than 12 months (regardless of whether or not the sentence was served).

Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601)

To apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (‘ETA’) online an applicant must be outside Australia and hold a valid passport from a specified eligible country.

The Electronic Travel Authority will:

• allow the holder to enter on multiple occasions for up to 12 months from date of grant;
• allow the holder to stay for up to three months from date of each arrival;
• not allow the holder to work in Australia.

An Electronic Travel Authority allows the holder to visit Australia as many times as required during the visa period and provides a period of stay of three months from date of arrival on each visit.

Visitor visa (Subclass 600)

An applicant may be eligible for grant of this visa where:

• genuinely intending to stay temporarily in Australia;
• intending to undertake business visitor activities;
• eligible under one the specific visa streams (Tourist, Business Visitor Stream, Family Sponsored Stream, Approved Destination Status, Frequent Traveller Stream).

Under usual circumstances these visas are valid for 12 months with a 3 months period of stay period.

Note: Visitor visas do not permit the holder to engage in work, provide services to any business or sell goods or services to the public while in Australia.

For more information on the differing subclasses and visa streams as well as specific eligibility matters contact Lex Lawyers for a consultation.

Immigration Law Services